Weekend Fun

I spent my second weekend in Jinja relaxing and soaking up some sunshine (maybe a little too much- I forgot that I'm near the equator now, whoops!). On Saturday, I slept in and went to one of the many resorts in town with Kayla and Dorothy to read, chat and swim. From these pictures it looks like we swam in Lake Victoria, but we actually used the pool instead because I don't think our bodies are up for the lake just yet. I'm definitely going to swim in the lake at some point while I'm here though! Sunday is usually another calm day. This week we went to a casual worship service at the Collies home where we sang hymns and listened to a podcast sermon with a handful of other families. Then we journaled at a coffee shop in town called Flavours and played with the kiddos at Arise and Shine. I'm looking forward to some more relaxed as well as some adventurous weekends! 

Week #1 as a Sole Hope intern

Every day is different as a Sole Hope intern. My fellow intern Kayla and I could be doing anything from taking a boda into town to get items screen-printed or helping Zeus and Kamagale the shoemakers clean out their work space or assisting with resettling the kids from the Outreach house on any given day. That's what keeps it interesting and allows us as interns to learn so much about how Sole Hope operates as an international non-profit and about the communities it is working to serve.

Arise & Shine

Arise & Shine is a home for children in Jinja who either no longer have able caretakers or their caretakers just need some help for a time. The organization's primary goal is resettlement into their birth families, but when this is not an option or not a healthy option, a child may be adopted. We have spent a couple of afternoons playing with the children and each time has been so much fun! They are so full of joy and energy and I'm looking forward to spending more time with them.

What is a Boda Boda?

Boda Bodas are clearly an important part of Ugandan culture as they inspired the title of this photo blog. If you have absolutely no idea what a boda boda is, don't worry! I had no clue until a few days before arriving in Uganda. Boda bodas (just "boda" for short) are essentially motorcycles used as taxis, primarily in the more populated areas of the country. Boda boda men wait on their motorcycles at various street corners and popular sites around Jinja and when you need to go somewhere, you just say "hello" and hop on! I usually take a boda into Jinja Town from the Sole Hope guesthouse as the main street is about 4-5 km away.

First view of the Nile

Not a great picture- I'll work on it! But the source of the Nile is located in Jinja- how neat is that?

Finally made it!

My first view of Uganda from the Sole Hope car on the ride from Entebbe to Jinja. It's so beautiful! So many shades of green and brown.